Howdy!

            Welcome to the Sport of Cowboy Fast Draw! The Cowboy Fast Draw Association, LLC is the largest organization devoted to the Sport of Fast Draw to ever exist. We have signed up over 3,000 members as of 2012. Our Motto is: Safety First, Fun Second and Competition Third. Not that our competitions aren’t important, we shoot hundreds of events a year for prize money, prizes and titles. It’s just that we place sportsmanship and fun above the competition itself, and place safety above all.

            CFDA has about 70 affiliated clubs across North America and several countries, new clubs are forming constantly through CFDA’s “Club in the Works” program.

The Cowboy Fast Draw Association administrates the rules to the sport, sanctions contests, conducts a CFDA Range Officer Program, and maintains a Youth Safety Training Program. One of our primary goals is to educate as many people as possible in the safe and proper use of firearms. Because our sport can be conducted at almost any location due to the wax bullets that we use and the backstops our clubs construct, our events are held in many public venues. We consider ourselves ambassadors of the Cowboy Way and Gun Safety to the public who are spectators at our events.    

About the Sport

                        You might say this all started in 1873 with Colt's release of the Peacemaker. In the era of 1873 through the 1890's, the Romance and Legend of the American West was unlike any other culture in the world; this time period is the premise for Cowboy Fast Draw. We use the best equipment available of the 1800's: single action revolvers and center fire cartridges. We're out to capture the feel of the Peacemaker in your hand, the smell of holster leather, and the exhilaration of reacting as fast as you dare while remaining cool-headed enough to hit your mark as you compete head to head in classic old west fashion. In Cowboy Fast Draw we can find out how we would have shot in the 1800's with gunfighter period guns and rigs.

Cowboy Fast Draw L.L.C. is the newest and oldest shooting sport today. It is a timed sport using single action .45 caliber western style six shooters. It's as exciting as dropping the clutch on a dragster. Check out the announcements on the events page to see where you can attend a Cowboy Fast Draw competition.

Ammunition: Wax Bullets Only! .45 colt, is the only caliber allowed in Cowboy Fast Draw. This is for three reasons: #1. At major contests, the host supplies all of the ammunition and there is no way to accommodate multiple calibers. #2. Wax bullets are very light and smaller calibers would increase velocities significantly, which would create a competitive advantage. #3. Historically, the Colt Peacemaker was introduced in .45 colt and that is what our sport is based upon.

90% of Cowboy Fast Draw is done with special .45 colt casings that are modified to accept 209 shotgun primers, with no powder. These alone propel the 18 grain .45 wax bullets at approximately 650 feet per second. Therefore, they must be handled with extreme care. In CFDA Titled Championships, Cowboy Fast Draw Cartridges are usually supplied in .45 colt casings with a small charge of Hodgdon Triple 7 Black Powder Substitute, they are carefully loaded by CFDA approved personnel to move just slightly faster than the Shotgun Primer loads.

Guns: STOCK .45 caliber single actions with minimum barrel length of 4.5", with no external alterations other than smoothing the hammer knurling. No aluminum barrels or cylinders. Front sights are optional. Actions jobs that do not alter the factory-designed external operation of the six-gun are fine.

Shooting Style: Thumbing and fanning, trigger finger must be outside of the trigger guard. If fanning the fanning hand may not be placed in front of the shooter’s body before the start light comes on.

Holsters: Pre 1900 style Mexican Loop or Slim Jim. No steel liners. Holsters will be worn on the side of the leg. No cross draws.

The Target: 24" (60.96cm) round disc, start light in the center, with a lexan lens. The target will measure 50" (1.27m) to center from the ground. Targets are black with white lithium grease applied to the target to verify all hits. There is a sensor attached to the back of the target which detects a hits which are then displayed on digital timers. Target distances are 15’(4.57m), 18’(5.49m) , and 21’(6.40m); with 21’ being CFDA Titled Championship Distance.

Time Clocks: Must time to the thousandth of a second. The CFDA Mercantile features a complete line of timing equipment, called the Gunslinger Cowboy Fast Draw Timer. Quick Draw Electronics is the only other timers currently being produced. All timers must be approved by CFDA.

Contests: Contests are conducted elimination style, normally best 3 out of 5 between two contestants. The loser of a round receives an “X”. In major competitions when a competitor receives 4-X’s they are eliminated from the contest. However, CFDA has several elimination formats that are very popular in club and regional formats.

Clothing: Western-Style Clothing is an essential part of the atmosphere we create. Late 1800’s period clothing is the theme. No Tennis Shoes, ball caps, short sleeve shirts, or sponsor logos are permitted.

Alias: Selecting an Alias is a big part of what makes Cowboy Fast Draw so fun! Your alias may not be duplicated once it is registered with CFDA.

JOIN THE COWBOY FAST DRAW ASSOCIATION TODAY!
Receive a Membership #Badge, Membership Card, Registered Alias, Gunslinger’s Guideline (Rulebook), Subscription to Gunslinger’s Gazette, CFDA Decal, CFDA Lapel Pin. And a whole bunch of new friends! Just $59.50 the first year and $49.50 thereafter, $20 discount for significant others and children under 18.

Cowboy Fast Draw Association – P.O. Box 5 – Fernley, NV 89408 (775)575-1802

 View the Cowboy Fast Draw Association Brochure